CM visits Chautala
village todayCHAUTALA
(Sirsa), Aug 7  Government officials in Sirsa
district are on way to this small village near Rajasthan
border. Chief Minister "Om" (Prakash Chautala)
is visiting his village tomorrow.

Lake dying an ugly deathAMBALA:
Till a few years back a beautiful lake of
clear water, surrounding the Mahavira park and
with an area span of 2 km was the centre of
attraction for the local people where children
and newly married couples could be seen enjoying
boating. But today it has turned into a pond of
rubbish and polluted water, people feel they are
witness to a painful death of a beautiful lake.

Bhajan to
file papers on Aug 18SIRSA,
Aug 7  Mr Bhajan Lal, former Chief Minister of
Haryana, will file his nomination papers from the Karnal
parliamentary seat as the Congress candidate of August
18.

Students beat up bus driverROHTAK,
Aug 7  Driver of a Haryana Roadways bus was
allegedly beaten up by some students near Bohar village
on the Rohtak-Sonepat road, about 10 km from here, today.

Panel formed for conduct of pollFATEHABAD,
Aug 7  The local administration has made elaborate
arrangements for the smooth conduct of parliamentary poll
in the district.

BJP misusing AIR: LeftHISAR,
Aug 7  Activists of the CPM and other Leftist
organisations staged a dharna in front of the local All
India Radio station here today in protest against the
alleged indifferent attitude of the Akashvani and the
Doordarshan towards the coverage of other political
parties while favouring the BJP.

Rs 1.46 lakh given to war heroes'
fundCHANDIGARH,
Aug 7  The employees of Animal Husbandry
Department, Haryana, made a contribution of Rs 1,46,450
to the Haryana Chief Minister's War Heroes' Relief Fund.

Flood control work reviewedFATEHABAD,
Aug 7  The local administration has claimed to have
taken effective steps for the prevention of floods in the
district.

RDA wants 5 p.c. marks benefit
restoredROHTAK, Aug 7  Resident doctors of the
Pandit B.D. Sharma Post Graduate Institute of Medical
Sciences have asked the state government to restore old
eligibility conditions for admissions to various
post-graduate courses of the institute.

KUTA chief writes to VC on pay
scalesKURUKSHETRA,
Aug 7  Dr K.L. Tuteja, President, Kurukshetra
University Teachers' Association in a letter addressed to
the Vice-Chancellor of Kurukshetra University, has urged
him to persuade the Haryana Government to award pay
scales on the basis of the UGC composite scheme.

3 youths booked for gang-rapeFARIDABAD,
Aug 7  A 25-year-old mother of four children has
been gang-raped in the fields near Bhagat Singh Colony.

CHAUTALA (Sirsa), Aug 7
 Government officials in Sirsa district are on way
to this small village near Rajasthan border. Chief
Minister "Om" (Prakash Chautala) is visiting
his village tomorrow.

It is Mr Chautala's
first visit to his village after becoming the Haryana
Chief Minister. Villagers are happy. For them all
development had come to a halt in the past eight years,
when Mr Chautala was out of power.

For 16000 villagers here
things have started changing. They claimed during the
Bansi Lal regime, electricity for most of the time
remained off. Sometimes power cuts lasted for 24 hours,
said Mr Shaib Ram Godara, a local villager. Now power
cuts are minimum.

Nearly 24 officials of
the Haryana Vidyut Prasaran Nigam were busy repairing
transformers, laying out fresh lines to restore
uninterrupted power supply to the village. So were
employees of the Rural Development, Public Health and
Roads and Buildings.

Streets are being
rebuilt. Water supply improved when the Chief Minister
visits his people, who are awaiting his arrival.

People are jubilant. The
Tribune talked to people belonging to the Indian National
Lok Dal, the Congress and the BJP. All of them were
hopeful that the village would see a phase of progress.

When the Bansi Lal
government withdrew his (Chautala's) official vehicle,
provided to him as Leader of the Opposition, for excess
petrol bills local people purchased a "Sumo"
vehicle within a week and presented it to Mr Chautala at
a public meeting in 1997. Such is people's regard for
their leader.

Mr Devi Lal's great
grandfather Jassa Ram had migrated from Nokha village in
Bikaner district of Rajasthan 150 years ago and settled
here. At that time, this village was also part of
Rajasthan. The family owns hundreds of acres of land in
and around the village. The entire Teja Khera village,
named after Mr Devi Lal's grandfather Teja Ram belongs to
the family of Mr Devi Lal and his brother Mr Sahib Ram.

From this village, Mr
Devi Lal's brother Mr Sahib Ram started movement for the
rights of the farmers. He was first elected MLA of the
area. Mr Devi Lal inherited political legacy from Mr
Sahib Ram.

After Mr Devi Lal became
Chief Minister in 1977, the village witness changes.
Although remote and small, it has all modern facilities.

There is a 35-bed
hospital with all facilities. The post-mortem cases are
referred to this hospital from Mandi Dabwali, which is a
subdivision headquarters and 30 km from here. There is a
telephone exchange and a sports stadium named after Mr
Sahib Ram.

During the past eight
years, condition of hospital and stadium became pitiable.
Even doctors were found missing from the hospital and it
looked like a desolate area, despite several residential
quarters. The stadium was full of grass and cattle to
graze there.

Change in the
government, changed the face of the hospital and the
village overnight. The hospital is being painted afresh
and the stadium cleared of the grass, when this reporter
visited there.

One of the surviving
associates of Mr Devi Lal, Mr Khub Ram has all praise for
Mr Om (Prakash Chautala). According to him Om knows most
of the villagers by name and they feel a deep sense of
belonging with Mr Chautala. Similar sentiments were being
expressed by most of the people, who were talked to. Due
to his busy schedule, Mr Chautala does not visit the
village too often. But this father Mr Devi Lal does. And
his younger son Mr Abhay Chautala stays here only. The
grandfather and the grandson have kept the link alive.
But the villagers understand, the preoccupations of Mr
Chautala in Delhi and Chandigarh. But they know, for Mr
Chautala his village and his people are never
unimportant. Whenever he will be Chautala (village) will
be in his mind, claimed Mr Khub Ram.

Mr Arora was appointed
Dean on July 8 and orders to remove him from the post
were reportedly issued by the university on Friday last.

Mr Arora was working as
Principal of Baba Mastnath Pharmacy College, Asthal Bohar
for the past over three years. He was not an employee of
the university and his appointment as Dean had surprised
academicians in the university here.

By virtue of his
appointment as Dean, Mr Arora automatically became member
of the executive council of the university. Though Mr
Arora had gone to Chandigarh to participate in the
meeting of the executive council in July, he had walked
out of it along with the official members.

The three-member
committee constituted by the Vice-Chancellor to review
the appointment of Mr Arora as Dean, had reportedly said
that he was not eligible for the post as he had neither
the requisite teaching experience as Professor nor he
possessed the Ph.D Degree. The committee, headed by Dr
Sarabjit Singh Comprised Dr A N Kalia and Mr Babu Ram.

The Secretary, Baba
Mastnath educational institutions, Mr J P Dahiya, has
described the removal of Mr Arora from the post as
mala fide and revengeful act on the part of
the Vice-Chancellor.

Meanwhile, the dharna by
students and staff members of the Baba Mastnath education
institutions continued for the second day on Saturday in
protest against the stopping of admissions by the
university to all professional courses run by Baba
Mastnath Trust.

The agitating students
and staff members have put up a shamiana on an open space
in front of the gate leading to the
Vice-Chancellors office. The Director, PGIMS, has
requested the district authorities to remove the
agitators as they have encroached upon the land belonging
to the institute. He alleged that these agitators
continued raising slogans which disturbed the patients
visiting the PGIMS.

The university has
complained to the police that the agitating students and
others had on August 6, tried to enter the residence of
the Vice-Chancellor. When the university securitymen
tried to stop them, the agitators manhandled them.

Mr J P Dahiya,
secretary, Baba Mastnath education institutions, however,
denied the allegations and charged the securitymen with
misbehaving with the girl students sitting on dharna. He
alleged that when they went to submit memorandum to the
Vice-Chancellor, the securitymen cane-charged them.

The Chief Security
Officer, Mr M S Nandal, denied that any security
personnel misbehaved with the girls. He also denied that
the agitators were lathi-charged.

ROHTAK, Aug 7 
Maharshi Dayanand University has decided to create two
additional seats in the different courses available in
the university and in the Post Graduate Regional Centre,
Rewari, for the next of kin of martyrs.

Lt-Gen (retd) O.P.
Kaushik, Vice-Chancellor of the university, said
applications in this connection had been invited through
the deputy commissioners of the respective districts. He
said more details in this regard could be obtained from
the respective deputy commissioners or the Registrar of
the university.

The Vice-Chancellor
informed that approval of the central councils would be
sought by the university for admissions to the
technical/professional courses.

He said the university
was also providing suitable employment to dependants of
the martyrs from the state and added that five members of
the bereaved families had already been given employment
in the university.

ROHTAK, Aug 7  The
Maharshi Dayanand University Teachers Association (MDUTA)
has asked the election and university authorities to
spare the college and university teachers from the
election duties.

This was stated at a
meeting of its executive here today. It said it could
lead to disruption of studies and observed that if the
poll duty was given to them, then the authorities
concerned must ensure that teachers were provided with
lodging and boarding facilities. Moreover special care
should be taken of women teachers.

Through another
resolution, the association expressed its
"unhappiness" over the ongoing confrontation
between the university authorities and the management of
Baba Mastnath Educational Institutions. It sought the
intervention of the Chancellor and condemned the alleged
"biased" behaviour of the university with some
affiliated institutions.

The association also
criticised the charge in venue for the meeting of the
executive council held last month. It demanded the
cancellation of the "minutes" of the meeting
held at Chandigarh.

The association
expressed concern over the atmosphere in the university
due to the "alleged" autocratic and
uncooperative attitude of the Vice-
Chancellor. It alleged that teaching community had been
facing harassment, victimisation and indifference at
various levels in the past couple of years.

SIRSA, Aug 7  Mr
Bhajan Lal, former Chief Minister of Haryana, will file
his nomination papers from the Karnal parliamentary seat
as the Congress candidate of August 18. Talking to
mediapersons here yesterday, he inspite of infighting in
his party, all eight parliamentary seats in the state
would go he said of the Congress replying to a question
on his support to Kumari Selja, Congress candidate from
Sirsa (Reserve), Mr Bhajan Lal said he would issue
directions to his supporters in Sirsa district on the
matter later. He claimed the Congress would get a
majority in parliament and Ms Sonia Gandhi would be Prime
Minister.

Commenting on the
Haryana Government headed by Mr Om Prakash Chautala, Mr
Bhajan Lal said it would fall within four months and
Assembly elections in Haryana would be held in December.
Mr Bhajan Lal visited Darba village in this district. The
village sarpanch, announced his decision to join the
Congress. Mr Bhajan Lal was accompanied by Dr Mohinder
Pratap Singh, former Chairman, Haryana Ayurvedic Board Dr
Bhagirath Bishoi, a renowned surgeon of the area, Mr
Bhagirath Gupta, advocate and at least 24 senior Congress
leaders form Sirsa. Mr Bhajan Lal also visited Ottu and
Burjbhangu villages

AMBALA: Till a
few years back a beautiful lake of clear water,
surrounding the Mahavira park and with an area span of 2
km was the centre of attraction for the local people
where children and newly married couples could be seen
enjoying boating. But today it has turned into a pond of
rubbish and polluted water, people feel they are witness
to a painful death of a beautiful lake.

For the past few years
due to the negligence of the administration and the
docile attitude of the public the lake has turned into
this condition. The water of the lake stinks and has got
polluted to such an extent that it looks totally black.
What to speak of boating, people dread even going near
it.

According to a local
fisherman the water is so polluted that it has stopped
becoming the breeding place for fish. Even migratory
birds shun this water feature. Water hyacinth has covered
the entire lake.

People who enjoy their
morning walk in the park for fresh air are ignorant of
the fact that they are breathing in polluted air which
may be harmful for their health.

It is learnt that one of
the reasons for the pollution of the lake is the fact
that the sewerage water of adjoining colonies has been
collecting in the lake since long.

Those residing around
the lake have also made encroachments. Even the Municipal
Council has not lagged behind. A large portion of lake
has been commercialised by filling it and converting it
into a market complex.

It is still time for the
district administration and the people of the city to
come forward otherwise they will be deprived of the
attraction of "The beautiful lake" in future.

A few years back the
Tourism Department, Haryana, had made a plan to develop
this lake and the park as one of the tourism centres of
the state. But later the scheme was dropped as nobody
pursued it with the government.

ROHTAK, Aug 7 
Driver of a Haryana Roadways bus was allegedly beaten up
by some students near Bohar village on the Rohtak-Sonepat
road, about 10 km from here, today. Agitated students
blocked the road for about one hour in protest against
the failure of the roadways staff to halt buses near the
village.

According to the police
a group of over 100 youths, mainly school and college
students, blocked traffic on the road from 8.45 a.m. to
9.45 a.m. to lodge their protest against the attitude of
the roadways staff for not halting buses during morning
and evening when they have to go and return from schools
and colleges.

They claimed that one
student had suffered injuries while alighting from a
running bus at the village as the driver refused to stop
the bus.

They stopped a bus of
the Rohtak depot coming from Sonepat at about 8.30 a.m.
and reportedly beat up the driver of the bus in protest
against the injuries suffered by the student yesterday.

However, no damage was
reported to the bus. The name of the driver and number of
the bus could not be known. The General Manager, Rohtak
depot, and other police officials reached the spot and
got the road cleared.

FATEHABAD, Aug 7 
The local administration has made elaborate arrangements
for the smooth conduct of parliamentary poll in the
district.

The Deputy Commissioner,
Mr. V. Raja Sekhar, has issued prohibitory order under
Section 144 of the CrPC, in the entire district. The
police has been directed to maintain law and order during
the election process. A standing committee was
constituted for the smooth conduct of poll. The committee
headed by the Deputy Commissioner, has as its members the
SP, the city magistrate and representatives of all
political parties in it. Mr Sekhar had called a meeting
of the standing committee a day before yesterday.

Addressing the members,
he urged political parties to co-operate in the
implementation of the model code of conduct. The parties
have been directed to use the public address system from
6 a.m. to 10 p.m. only, so that it is within the
specifications laid down by the Election Commission.

The parties have been
directed to inform the police in advance regarding any
proposed public meeting or procession. The
representatives of the parties were informed about
various provisions of the People Representative Act 1951.
Writing of slogans on walls without the prior permission
of the owner would invite action under the Defacement of
Property Act 1989.

HISAR, Aug 7 
Activists of the CPM and other Leftist organisations
staged a dharna in front of the local All India Radio
(AIR) station here today in protest against the alleged
indifferent attitude of the Akashvani and the Doordarshan
towards the coverage of other political parties while
favouring the BJP.

They also held a
demonstration and raised anti-government slogans. The
activists alleged that the BJP government was misusing
the two mediums, for projecting itself in view of the
forthcoming elections.

They submitted a
memorandum to the in charge of the radio station for
forwarding the same to the President of India and the
Election Commission of India demanding immediate action
to stop the misuse of the government media.

FATEHABAD, Aug 7 
The local administration has claimed to have taken
effective steps for the prevention of floods in the
district. A team of technical and administrative officers
led by the Deputy Commissioner, Mr V. Raja Shekhar,
toured the affected areas and took stock of the
situation.

The Ghaggar had been
flooding Fatehabad, Tohana and Rattia areas of this
district for the past several years. The floods had
played havoc with the crops in 1962, 1982, 1988, 1993 and
1995.

In 1998 23 villages of
the district were affected by the unseasonal rain and
about 53,000 acres of land was submerged. Last year Rs 22
lakh was spent on flood control measures.

The administration has
demanded 30 additional pumpsets this year for dewatering
operation in the waterlogged areas of the district.

ROHTAK, Aug 7 
Resident doctors of the Pandit B.D. Sharma Post Graduate
Institute of Medical Sciences (PGIMS) have asked the
state government to restore old eligibility conditions
for admissions to various post-graduate courses of the
institute.

In a representation to
Chief Minister, Om Prakash Chautala, the Resident Doctors
Association (RDA) has requested the government to restore
the earlier facility of internal advantage (5 per cent
benefit) to the candidates who had attained degree from
this institute, while seeking admission in the MD/MS
courses run by them, there was no rationale behind
withdrawing such benefit by the state government as the
students who passed out from here were finding it very
difficult in getting admission in post graduate courses.

The general secretary of
the Association, Dr Jai-Bhagwan Jatain said that a
delegation of the junior doctors of the Institute would
soon meet the Chief Minister, to get their
"genuine" demand accepted. He also welcomed the
decision of the state government to restore grant of the
medical college, Agroha in Hisar district.

KURUKSHETRA, Aug 7
 Dr K.L. Tuteja, President, Kurukshetra University
Teachers' Association (KUTA), in a letter addressed to
the Vice-Chancellor of Kurukshetra University, has urged
him to persuade the Haryana Government to award pay
scales on the basis of the UGC composite scheme.

Dr Tuteja has mentioned
that the Vice-Chancellor of Haryana Agriculture
University, Hisar, had persuaded the Haryana Government
to revise pay scales on the pattern of ICAR guidelines
for teachers of the university. The government had
accordingly, agreed to implement the ICAR grades which
was the primary demand of teachers of Haryana Agriculture
University.

Dr Tuteja talking to
this correspondent on the phone, hoped that the
implementation of the UGC notification would not only
meet the genuine demands of the teaching community, but
also help in the overall academic growth of the
University.

FARIDABAD, Aug 7 
A 25-year-old mother of four children has been gang-raped
in the fields near Bhagat Singh Colony.

A police spokesman said
yesterday that a case against three youths had been
registered under Sections 171/99, 376, 342, 506 and 34.
The youths had been identified as Dharamvir, Bably and
Takla, residents of nearby Aironda village, and would be
arrested shortly.

According to a statement
of the woman, she had gone to ease herself in the nearby
fields at night, when the alleged culprits bounced upon
her. They took her forcibly to a nearby shed and
gang-raped her.